[3][4] In his early teens Espie came into contact with Anglican priest, Father Percy Smith, who arranged for him, and a number of other Aboriginal boys to go to St Francis House in Adelaide alongside the now prominent names of Charles Perkins, Gordon Briscoe and Brian Butler.
[5] On 14 August 1961 he started his training with the NSW Police Force where he worked to become Chief Inspector, the highest position ever held by an Aboriginal person.
Espie was well respected in the police force and, in March 1965, received a lot of attention for his bravery when he rescued two trapped men, from separate burning cars.
[6] During this time he received the following awards: Espie died on September 22, 2011, in the Concord Repatriation Hospital in Sydney and his ashes were placed at the Alice Springs Garden Cemetery.
There is a memorial to Espie at the Hartley Street School in Alice Springs, which is now operating as a museum.